This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1965. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.

Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible

Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.

Petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks and fuel infrastructure operated continuously from before 1965 through the mid-1980s — well within the era when occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The LUST incident number dates to 1974, anchoring the contamination origin squarely in the pre-1986 policy window. With remediation costs spanning more than three decades — tank removal, soil excavation, and ongoing groundwater treatment — historical carriers who insured the station's operators during that period may be obligated to recover those expenditures and fund the remaining work.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.